5 Ways to Update Your Toddler Proofing Measures

When your little one starts walking and begins exploring in greater depth, you may start to wonder what the next step is for child proofing your living space. It’s a good question to ask yourself: “As you prepare your home for the toddler stage, every part of the home should be reviewed to ensure the safety of your newly and very mobile little one,” says Geneuviève Thibault, founder of bblüv, a baby and toddler product retailer. “As your toddler grows and develops strength and ability, some tools, such as gates and play yards, can become obsolete as they triumphantly climb right over them. Now, the little things we can easily overlook, like outlet covers, cabinet door locks, door handles, potentially hazardous house plants, pets, and cleaning products, become critically important as your toddler expands and explores his environment.”

With this in mind, here are five areas of your home that you’ll want to scrutinize.

Bathroom

There are so many things that a child could get into—and make a major mess with—in a bathroom, from lipstick to toilet-paper rolls. “The toddler stage finds little ones still testing every object with their hands and mouth,” Thibault says. As a result, parents should lock all cabinets with a childproof latch to keep any cleaners and medications out of reach. It’s also important to keep your poisons and sharps “well out of reach… high up above the reach of the child,” in case someone forgets to relock the cabinet after use, says Carolyn Ziegler, a child proofer with 35 years of experience and founder of Dreambaby.

There’s another potential danger lurking in your bathroom: the toilet. Besides the obvious sanitary issues surrounding children playing in the toilet, they could also drown, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. The water may seem shallow enough to us, but it’s the perfect height and depth for a toddler to fall in face first and get stuck with his head underwater.

“You have to be very careful that your child does not have access to the toilet,” Ziegler says. “There are a number of products that can be used to close your toilet and make sure it is fully closed.” You can either purchase a latch specifically for the toilet, or use a childproof safety lock like the ones on your cabinets.

Windows

Nearly 5,000 children fall out of windows annually, with urban children being the most frequently affected, according to the CPSC. Though most modern homes have windows with screens and locks, those measures just simply aren’t enough. Screens are meant to stop insects, not children, so they are not a means of preventing falls.

“When living in an apartment you need to understand the height of your apartment. You do not want children to have access to fall out of those windows,” Ziegler says. “So you must make sure you have a restrictor on [windows] so they will only open four inches, no more. You want to be able to make sure you can get a bit of fresh air, but the children are secured within.”

Though there’s no substitute for parental supervision, parents can’t keep a watchful eye 24/7. “Window and door alarms also alert parents quickly to potential dangers and are especially helpful during times when parents are sleeping, Thibault recommends. “Avoid putting shelves or climbable furniture under windows.”

Falling isn’t the only window-related danger for children. A study by the Center for Injury Research and Policy shows that nearly 17,000 children younger than 6 are hospitalized annually for injuries caused by window blinds, which can be a potential strangulation hazard. "Many blinds have got long cords,” Ziegler says. “Make sure you keep those well out of reach of children.” In order to prevent injury, replace traditional blinds with cordless blinds, or get a retrofitting kit that allows you to tie up cords in spaces that are out of reach of children. And don’t let renting inhibit your toddler proofing. “If you can’t screw things in because you’re renters, don’t do it. There are plenty of products that are adhesive, or work on handles that you can slide over,” according to Ziegler.